Dollie Audrey McDonald

Dollie Audrey Winders McDonald Life’s Journey

Dollie entered the world July 16, 1930 and was delivered by a mid-wife at Desert Lake, Utah. Her birth name was Maggie Winders and on December of 1970 she amended her birth certificate to reflect her preferred name, Dollie Audrey McDonald. Dollie’s sisters recall she was so small that her father could hold her in his hand. During this time birth weight was not recorded on the birth certificate.

Dollie’s first memories as a child were that they lived in an old school house. It was sometimes used for social gatherings for folks around the small towns of Desert Lake. One of Dollie’s fondest memories was of Saturday nights when people from Elmo and Cleveland would come to the old school to dance. As you may know, mother loved to dance and you can imagine her getting up and dancing on her own. Dollie’s mother and father had an old Victrola phonograph that amazed her as a young girl.
One memorable event that Dollie spoke of her entire life was when her mother opened the Victrola to put a record on the phonograph only to find a snake coiled on the turntable.  Dollie had fond memories of spending time with her brothers and sisters in Desert Lake and Elmo with funny sibling rivalry stories to tell. Dollie spoke a lot about how wonderful her grandmothers garden and fruit trees were and that the soil eventually turned into alkaline.

Dollie moved to Elmo with her family when she was around six years old. They lived in a two-room house with a small storage space in the ceiling. At this time there was no electricity, running water or inside plumbing. She told us the story of how wonderful it was that her father got a job with Works Progress Administration (WPA) building outside toilets. It was just wonderful and when you opened the door it lifted up the seats. Yes, they had two holes for your business. You could also lock the door. She related how good the wood smelled. During this time the sibling shenanigans continued to build her character and she became a very fast runner.

Dollie moved with her parents, brothers and sisters to Hiawatha, Utah in the later part of 1942. Dollie’s father John Vernal Winders worked for United States Fuel Company’s coal mine laying track. John Vernal Winders died during a coal mining accident on January 17, 1945 in Hiawatha. Dollie attended Hiawatha Junior High at this time and told us she played outfield on the boys’ baseball team. She was a high jumper and did pole vaulting where she usually finished ahead of the boys. She indicated they never got mad at her or took it out on her. Another colorful story she shared, was about a particular 4th of July celebration. Dollie’s friends had money for ice cream, however, she didn’t have a nickel for ice cream or a popsicle. During the celebration an announcer said they were going to have races according to age and the winner would win a nickel or dime. Dollie remembers saying, “I’m running the race and going to win the race to get my ice cream”. Turns out Dollie was a fast runner and won every race she entered. This time the boys were quite upset with her and didn’t like her winning.

 Records suggest Dollie move to Price with her mother, brothers and sisters the summer of 1945. Dollie attended Price Junior High school 1945-46 and Carbon Senior High 1946-1948. While attending Carbon Senior High Dollie met her future husband-to-be Cardon Angus McDonald. Dollie tells us with a sparkle in her eye that during a Sadie Hawkins Day assembly Cardon went up and down the bleachers kissing all the girls. Dollie, pretty little thing, was next in line, but when he leaned down to kiss her, she slapped his face. This didn’t stop him from courting and chasing her. Dollie affectionately tells us that Cardon after this was always trying to give her a ride home from school only to be rejected (they were both relentless). One particular day Cardon decided to follow Dollie home from school, he caught-up with her near a mercantile store close to Main Street in Price. He again asked her if she would Iike a ride home and Dollie being frightened of Cardon naturally refused. Now in Price you can enter a store front on one street and come out on another street. Cardon knew this (in fact many people in Price used this as a short cut). When Dollie ran into the department store Cardon immediately drove around the block and parked. Imagine Dollie’s astonishment when she came out of the department store to find Cardon standing there with the car door open asking if she would like a ride home. Dollie reluctantly accepted his invitation. This naturally led to a marriage proposal which Dollie accepted.

Angus Cardon McDonald born 17 July 1925, Salina Utah. He graduated from Carbon College 1946. He served with the U.S. Air Force pilot training program in 1943, however was transferred to the Army Infantry, to overcome the loss of troops in the Battle of the Bulge in France, where he served from 1943 to 1945. During the latter part of that time he served in General Patton’s Army.
Dollie told us that because of their meager circumstance they could not afford a wedding dress. Dollie researched and looked at numerous magazines for a wedding dress design that appealed to her. When she settled on a design she asked Cardon’s sister Darcia, an incredible seamstress, to make the dress. Darcia agreed to make the dress from Cardon’s Army parachute without a pattern. They were married June 22, 1947 in Price, Utah.

Dollie gave birth to Gregory Cardon McDonald (12/5/48), Brenda Mae McDonald (10/17/49), Dana Angus McDonald (12/23/54) at Carbon Hospital, Price, Utah. Fourteen years later, Dollie gave birth to Kerry Jon McDonald (3/29/62) at home.
While struggling to provide for her and care for her “little ducklings” Dollie entered Carbon College School of Nursing in June 1955. In June 1956 she graduated with a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) certificate. Immediately after graduating she started working at Carbon Hospital in Price and then from 1960 – 1966 she was an office nurse for Dr. Roy W. Robinson.

 Shortly after moving to Salt Lake City in December of 1966 Dollie continued to pursue additional nursing skills and expertise while working at the Highland Manor Nursing Home and St. Marks Hospital as a Special Duty Nurse from 1966-1972.
Dollie liked nursing so much that she decided to return to school to obtain an advanced Registered Nurse (RN) degree. During her senior year, 1973, Dollie experienced ulcerative colitis throwing her graduation plans into a tailspin. One year later, and one ileostomy later, she graduated from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah, with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Dollie worked at St. Mark’s Hospital, Surgical Division 1974-1977. Because of Dollie’s ileostomy and nursing experience she recognized immediately the need for specialized care for ostomy patients. She says one of the most frustrating parts of her recovery was everyone saying, “Oh, you’re all right – everything is going to be fine.” when she wanted to say, “ I’m not alright, I feel creepy, I’m scared out of my wits, won’t somebody LISTEN TO ME”. In 1977, Dollie convinced St. Mark’s Hospital in Salt Lake City of the need for an Enterostomal Therapist. She was convinced that their patients needed more help than they were getting, and knew that she wanted to be the one to do it. After persistent effort, Dollie obtained permission to attend enterostomal therapy training in Cleveland, Ohio at the Cleveland Clinic. Upon returning to St. Mark’s she was instrumental in the development of the Enterostomal Therapy Program now at the Hospital. Her determination combined with a warm, emphatic approach to patients, enabled Dollie to meet her challenges successfully and led her to share many stories about teaching patients to care for colostomies, and a particularly hard case was when she taught a blind woman to care for her colostomy. Dollie continued working at St. Mark’s Hospital from 1977 to 1988 as the Enterostomal Therapist Special Procedures (Endoscopy) Nurse.

From 1989 to her retirement Dollie practiced as an Enterostomal therapist/practitioner at St. Mark’s, Lakeview, and Pioneer Valley Hospitals. In addition, Dollie contracted with IHC, Cottonwood, Alta View and the LDS Hospitals to cover for RN’s when absent.

While working as an Enterostomal Therapist Dollie established a professional relationship with Dr. J.P. Hughes M.D. General Surgeon, Colon and Rectal Surgery at St. Marks Hospital. Dr. Hughes arrived at St. Mark’s Hospital and met Dollie while working on the surgical floor for post op patients. Dr. Hughes indicates “they were a professional match made in heaven”. They would later increase their efforts advocating for patients who required stoma care. Dollie would use Dr. Hughes’s office exam room to meet her private practice patients for years. They shared hundreds of patients ranging from complex to major successes. They never fired a tough patient or charged one who could not pay. Dr. Hughes appreciated Dollie’s dedication and efforts in the sacred cause so much that he created a scholarship, the Dollie McDonald Scholarship fund to support nursing students at the Salt Lake City Community College, in her honor.

In addition to Dollie’s amazing career, she had many outside hobbies and interests. These included gourmet cooking (she took every cooking class offered in the Salt Lake Valley, many taught by Fred Wix), gardening – she had beautiful gardens and won many awards at the Home and Garden Shows at the State Fairs. Dollie was very active with the Red Hatters and Carbonite Ladies, she enjoyed going to lunch with her fellow members.

One of her greatest pleasures was going to their cabin at Scofield Reservoir. Her meals were always amazing and there was always room for one more person. She loved sitting on the big deck that faced the lake, surrounded by beautiful Quaking Aspen and pine trees.

Her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren would spend many happy hours listening to stories and advice which was given with great love.

A celebration of Dollie’s life will be held on Monday, January 14, 2019 from 6:00pm to 8:00 PM at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East, Salt Lake City. Guests are encouraged to use the complimentary valet parking on the north side of the building. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at 11:00 am at Starks Funeral Parlor, with a viewing one hour prior to the services. Dollie will be laid to rest at the Utah Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 17111 South Camp Williams Road, Bluffdale; following the service.

In lieu of flowers please donate to Dollie McDonald Scholarship (Salt Lake Community College) or a charity of your choice.

Please check back soon to view a video tribute slideshow.